馃嚥馃嚭MauritiusEast Africa
SME Mauritius celebrates International MSME Day 2026, highlighting economic growth and entrepreneurial resilience
via Le Mauricien1 min read
SME Mauritius celebrated International Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises MSME Day 2026 to emphasize the critical role MSMEs play in fostering economic growth, innovation, job creation, and social development. This year's event honored the resilience, innovative spirit, and determination of entrepreneurs who continuously adapt to evolving markets to seize new opportunities. The MSME sector remains a fundamental pillar of the national economy, promoting entrepreneurship, creating jobs, and contributing to social mobility. SME Mauritius reaffirmed its commitment to continuously strengthening MSME competitiveness through business advisory services, various aid programs, capacity-building initiatives, and support for digital transformation. The institution encourages current and future entrepreneurs to focus on innovation, sustainable development, and digital technologies as essential drivers of growth and competitiveness. As part of International MSME Day, SME Mauritius organized several activities in Mauritius and Rodrigues. These included a certificate ceremony at Petit-Verger prison for 35 participants who completed a comprehensive program on "Entrepreneurship for Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Inclusion," aimed at equipping detainees with business creation skills. An workshop on digital marketing and digital tool optimization gathered 26 participants, covering social media marketing, content creation, online brand development, customer engagement strategies, and
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The second edition of the Afric Vibes Festival is underway, aiming to promote African music and culture in Mauritius. The festival, initiated by Ernest Lyatto artist name Leone, was founded in 2025 due to a perceived lack of African cultural heritage on the island, despite the presence of sega music and percussion instruments. Lyatto emphasizes the rich, indescribable essence of African sound and the diversity of its instruments beyond percussion. The festival serves as a platform to foster new artistic expressions, featuring artists from various African countries who reside in Mauritius, including Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria. Lyatto, who has lived in Mauritius for two years, teaches music at the Fran莽ois Mitterrand National Conservatory of Music and studies general administration at the University of Technology, Mauritius. This year's edition expands beyond music to include dance, fashion, hairstyling, and visual arts. The festival began with a DJ night at the Backstage Lounge Bar of Hennessy Park Hotel, following Africa Day, offering a space for community engagement and support for emerging and established artists. The program includes fashion shows, diverse music styles like Afrobeats and Amapiano, dance, and body and visual art, embodying an "Afro-creative spirit with raw energy." The second event, the Mama Africa Edition, will take place on July 4 at the Institut fran莽ais de Maurice IFM in Rose-Hill. This all-day celebration from noon to 9 PM promises an immersiv
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